My life verse is this: "And so I walk in His presence as I live here on earth" (Psalm 116:9). His presence is a place of promise, and nourishment, and care. We are never far from His provision and never more alive than when we walk by His side. Even in the wilderness, especially in the wilderness, He is there for us, walking with us, providing for us, and showing us the way to our next place of promise. Sometimes life leads us to places of great difficulty and struggle. Sometimes our circumstances scream that God has forgotten us and will not come through for us. It is in those places where we are tempted to set up camp in the wilderness and make it our home. We get used to the less-than life we are living, and it seems easier to settle than to hope for something better. But we must never surrender to our circumstances, only to God, and there's a big difference between the two.

The Old Testament tells how the Israelites took forty years to complete a journey that should have taken them about one week. One commentary says that this was a consequence of their rebellious fears. Now God cares deeply for us and aches when we are afraid, but when we coddle our fears more than we cling to God, those fears become an affront to His loving care and provision for our lives.

In the Psalms it says, "The people refused to enter the pleasant land for they wouldn't believe His promise to love and care for them. Instead they grumbled in their tents and refused to obey the Lord."

They refused to believe the Promise, and then they grumbled because their life had no promise!

Does that sound familiar?

The Israelites were not made for captivity. They were made to live free and reign as representatives of the Most High God.

We were not made for captivity. We were made to live free and reign as representatives of the Most High God.

Surrendering to our circumstances is like camping in the wilderness, refusing to believe that God is leading us to our next place of Promise.

Surrendering to God amidst our circumstances is to say, "Lord, You alone know what is best for me. I can't see You, I can't feel You, but I know You'll come for me. I know Your promises are true for me here. I know You have a purpose for me here, and I know You've made a committment to love me here. You get to decide how this goes, Lord. I will trust in You. I will walk through this wilderness, but I will keep my eyes upward and my ear bent towards Heaven. I will lean in and listen and watch for my breakthrough, for I know You will come for me. My circumstances do not define me, Lord. You do. I am Yours and I will follow You forever. Amen."

But for you who fear My Name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in His wings. And you will go free, leaping with joy like calves let out to pasture (Mal. 4:2 NLT).